Chocolate Bread

Total Time: 3 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 180 ml milk, heated until just tepid
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 75 g sugar
• 55 g butter
• 85 g bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee (optional)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 280 g bread flour
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 70 g toasted almonds, coarsely chopped (optional)

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the milk. add one tablespoon sugar, then set aside in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes.
• 2 meanwhile melt the butter and chocolate. stir from time to time, until the chocolate is melted. remove from heat.
• 3 mix the remaining sugar, the instant coffee, the egg, sea salt and vanilla into the yeast.
• 4 stir in half the flour and cocoa powder, then our chocolate mixture, then the remaining flour. knead dough until smooth.
• 5 cover the bowl with a tea towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• 6 butter a loaf pan.
• 7 stir in the chopped nuts, if using. then transfer it to the buttered pan. let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
• 8 bake at 180 degrees c for 35-40 minutes.